It wasn’t meant to be

So last night we set off for the usual Thursday night loop. It was bitterly cold, the ground was icy and the moors were shrouded in low cloud and gloom. Perfect winter night riding weather. Then the first problem struck; my bar light died within the first mile. Not to worry; I had my (much weaker) helmet light in reserve. 6 miles in we reached the first real downhill section. This was where I realised the iPhone attached to my bar had died. Surveying the descent, it dawned upon us that this generally fast and swoopy track had become a gulley-riddled rollercoaster due to the recent snow melt, and to add to the fun it was covered in a sheet of ice. Good for testing the technical skills. As we descended, the next disaster struck; the pads on my back brake finally disappeared leaving nothing to slow me down safely. At this point I decided it was time to head for home and make sure that from now on all the right checks are made before setting off. Wasn’t it (the once great) Lance Armstrong who once said: “Prior preparation prevents poor performance”, or some such nugget of wisdom? UCI World Cup here I come (not).